


Some traditions shouldn’t be forgotten

by whoeverdares



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, Holiday Traditions, Kara Winn James J'onn & Lucy appearances, Prompt Fic, Secret Gifts, Super Santa Femslash 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-18 05:11:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13093101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whoeverdares/pseuds/whoeverdares
Summary: Super Santa Femslash 2017In wich our superfam decided to make a gift exchange after a hectic Holiday week and Alex receives more than a cool little present.





	Some traditions shouldn’t be forgotten

**Author's Note:**

  * For [confab_nocturni](https://archiveofourown.org/users/confab_nocturni/gifts).



Astra grimaced lightly when she got out of the sun bed and tried to get dressed.

Her suit was severely damaged but under no circumstances would she accept the black DEO fatigues that were carefully folded on the chair next to her bed. She had several reasons for it, but mostly because the fabric was rough and heavy, and it was hard to move in them. Plus, she wasn’t a US government employed.

Rao forbid!

He knew how hard it was for Astra to accept Alex’s offer to stay in the infirmary of the DEO after getting hurt during the last incident.

About the incident, it was a long and unfinished story.

Apparently, December was the favorite month of the year for several species when it came to exhibiting an irrational behavior. Weird as it sounded, it was not exclusively a human trait.

Maybe this socio-cultural phenomenon was related to the mystic energy invested in the Holidays. It would explain why humans were losing their minds year after year, producing a generalized agitation and incurring in a high intake of… a lot of substances and food, like there was no tomorrow. For aliens, maybe it was Earth’s atmosphere or the position of the planet in the Solar System at that time of the year that turned them into savages, adequately dressed in red and green.

After all those years in this world, Astra didn’t have a firm grasp of the motives for such madness. Whatever it was, it looked as if it were the perfect cocktail for a hectic Holiday season. A hectic Holiday season in which Astra was involved thanks to her new status as a former General, put under probation for an indefinite period of time, and compelled to help the DEO whenever it was required.

They couldn’t force her to help, that was for sure, so Astra liked to think of herself more as a _special collaborator_.

The last hostile they confronted was a most-wanted fugitive in more than a half-dozen planets that had the terrible idea of showing up at the Otto Binder Bridge during the New Year’s Eve festivities. Not exactly because he enjoyed the tremendous release of sound, bright light, and heat of the chrysanthemums-shaped explosions in the sky, but because the colorant compounds and oxidizers used in fireworks, when ignited, were like a stimulant drug to him.

The DEO was following his tracks since mid-December, so when the creature resurfaced from the crowd and wreaked havoc in a drug-induced frenzy, they and their special collaborator were waiting for him.

The original plan included undercover DEO agents hidden between the civilians, Supergirl and Astra flying over the area to neutralize the bug-eyed humanoid from several angles, and J’onn providing back up from the highest point of the bridge. That should have been enough. But an escaped inmate from Dhor’s maximum security prison, as predictable as he was, was also a very dangerous opponent.

Long story short, the Dhorian showed them why his people had an excellent reputation for developing advanced alien weaponry.

The last sequence Astra remembered mimicked one of the action movies she’d watched with Kara the previous week. Alex and other DEO agents were shooting at the hostile with light ammunition, but he was covered with an impenetrable, black armor. He must have hated the distraction, because the second he noticed their presence, he jumped and started to climb the bridge suspensions, ready to shoot them back. It was then that Astra used her freezing breath to get the alien’s attention and Kara yelled something utterly incomprehensible even for Astra’s super hearing – there were humans screaming and running down the bridge, and some fireworks were still exploding too close to enjoy them. All that smoke made it almost impossible for Astra to see anything, but she managed to dodge a yellow laser ray once, twice, three times, until it finally hit her mid-flight. After that, the galvanized steel wires from the bridge welcomed her in a very painful way and, just like in a movie, everything faded to black.

She must have ended up hanging from those wires, as embarrassing as it sounded.

She really didn’t know nor did she want to ask.

But even though her body was still hurting and her pride was still smashed against a giant suspension bridge, Astra was ready to go back to her almost empty apartment after an exceptionally brief recovery. All she wanted to do was to forget this dreadful mission and start planning the search of that miserable creature _._

Grabbing her right side and mentally cursing the light pain she felt there, Astra left the room. The corridors of the DEO were filled with field agents returning to the headquarters and some other agents writing and delivering their paperwork. None of them dared to see Astra in the eyes as she passed by. Their eyes flickered from side to side but never looked at her directly. Maybe because of her reputation of temporarily departed/now resurrected Kryptonian General; maybe because her suit was more torn apart than she initially thought and was now a little bit too revealing (she was sure, though, that any piece of clothing was more dignified than the hospital gown she had to wear for the last two days).

Whatever the reason that kept soldiers from looking at her, she didn’t mind at all; she had one last place she needed to visit before leaving that isolated, underground cave. But of course, to Astra’s opinion, the DEO was a labyrinth with no logic distribution, therefore she spent the next seven minutes wandering the hallways and offices and training rooms, until she finally saw her.

Alexandra Danvers was behind a wall of glass, leaned intently over her microscope as she placed a slide tray under the lens.

Astra approached Alex’s lab door with a slow-spreading smile on her lips and stood there. No, it wasn’t the first time she saw Alex doing this part of her job. In fact, she’d had the honor to witness how brilliant the woman was, both as a scientist and as a soldier. It wasn’t the first time she saw Alex’s hands adjusting the sample and calibrating the knobs, either. And definitely, it wasn’t the first time Astra felt secretly captivated by the way Alex’s hair cascaded slightly to her left side, exposing the skin of her neck as she leaned in.

It was a perfect picture, like all those times before.

And just like all those times before, Astra wondered if Alex could see little constellations in there… if those small and vibrant dots resembled in any way the silvery stars she used to watch from the windows of her room on Krypton, or from the middle of the desert here on Earth.

She couldn’t help but think that maybe Alex felt equally fascinated every time she dived into that microscopic universe, pen in a hand and a notebook by her side, notes all over the page, numbers, values, and some occasional drawings. Just like Astra used to do at her intergalactic excursions, during the morning hours, after sleepless nights observing the stars.

Rao, if that wasn’t a confirmation that they weren’t so different after all…

Certainly, Astra would have loved to be able to ask Alex that kind of personal questions. In fact, Astra did gather some chunks of knowledge during the ten months they shared an apartment, in the first period of her so-called probation. To be fair and more honest with the facts, Astra’s knowledge about Alex was… _thorough_.

For example, she knew Alex needed a big cup of coffee to reach minimum levels of functioning in the morning; Astra took note of that when one morning, before breakfast, she claimed for a spot in their shared house to establish her own little garden. Alex had said yes almost automatically, only to freak out later, when she came back home at night and found a little jungle hanging from the balcony. That was a night Astra preferred to forget, just like Alex had forgotten she agreed to Astra’s request without a second thought.

Astra also knew Alex loved to run in the afternoon, when the sun was hiding, but she liked it even more when it was drizzling because rain was not very frequent in National City.

She knew Alex and her family didn’t celebrate Christmas, but when Kara came up with the brilliant idea of a belated gift exchange (because _“we had a terrible week and it’s fun and everybody loves to receive a cool little present”_ ) Alex’s face lit up and accepted right away, since it was the only Christmas tradition she truly loved and because it would make Kara happy. Besides, it was a perfect occasion to share a couple of holiday cocktails with their loved ones, something that Alex enjoyed a lot, and that was another thing Astra knew about her.

Those were some facts Astra could derive from silent observation; the bright side of forced cohabitation. A form of domesticity she was already missing, she realized, while she was simply watching Alex do her things.

Astra’s pinky finger must have hit the door glass accidentally because she heard the clink and saw Alex automatically veering her attention to where she was standing. Luckily enough, Astra was able to tone down that fond smile just in time, even though the weird grin that resulted from it wasn’t the better substitute she could come up with.

“Hey, I didn’t know you were there,” Alex said, straightening as she abandoned the lens of the microscope, her gloved hands still lying on the knobs. She gave Astra a quick glance but clearly examining her suit and every rip in it starting with the one in the right leg, then the one in her stomach, and then the one in her chest, where she raised her eyebrows and looked away shyly. “Oh, you’re definitely gonna need a new suit.”

The blush in Alex’s face compelled Astra to check the rips for herself. And yes, there was a good 3-Inch hole right under her right breast that definitely didn’t seem too important when Astra put on her suit, but right now was somehow inconvenient.

“I am sorry, I didn’t realize–”

“It’s ok, it’s just a scratch, we can fix it,” Alex reassured her. She quickly moved to her desktop on the other side of the lab and took a couple of paperclips from a small organizer, disentangled them and gave them to Astra. “Here, you just gotta, umm…” she motioned with her hands, mimicking sewing with a needle and thread.

Walking into the lab, Astra took the clips and joined the two sides of the fabric together, making sure the edges meet. Then used the paperclip to keep them in place and bent the little metallic wire in zigzags to produce multiple stitches.

“Not the perfect solution but it will do,” Alex said, smiling. Astra couldn’t help but feel thankful for her clever intervention. “You have awesome sewing skills.”

“It is basic training for Kryptonian soldiers,” Astra replied, accepting the compliment with a proud smile as she repeated the improvised sewing procedure. “We used to repair our own equipment and fatigues during our exploration missions outside Krypton. Sometimes we used to build our own tents since the terrain conditions didn’t allow us to carry the mobile unit with us.” She allowed herself to think briefly about those otherworldly adventures, a glimpse of melancholy showed up there, in a fleeting silence. But she continued, “We really never had this kind of malfunctions. Of course our threads were slightly superior than yours, both in quality and durability.”

“Well, as far as I know, that Kryptonian suit is ready for retirement,” Alex pointed out as she passed by Astra’s side, removing the blue latex gloves and throwing them directly into the trash bin.

Something about that action made Astra think about how symbolic was letting things go. Because even a marred fabric meant something, for the stories and the memories linked to them.

If anything, Alex was right. Astra could never throw that suit into the bin but she needed to let go this piece of her military past, give it a place in the box under her bed, let memories rest with it.

Besides, the last stitch was threatening to give in and all Astra could register, aside from homesickness, was pure anger and resignation.

“Another reason to catch that bastard alien.”

Alex snorted at Astra’s irritation, but somehow it didn’t feel rude at all. She closed the door and walked to her desktop again. Gesturing an invitation for Astra to sit next to her on the exam table, she asked, “How are you feeling?”

Now, Astra had exactly two possible answers for that question. One: she said the truth and only the truth and maybe she had to stay in the DEO for another day. Or two: a seemingly white-lie to get out of there quickly, under the risk of Alex finding out that she was lying.

So she went for a middle point. “Tired. But that is just it.” She sat as Alex had indicated and took a look at the papers over the desk. They seemed to be blood test results with some notes scribbled on the margin of the paper and a couple of checkboxes that were empty, for unknown reasons.

“That’s to be expected,” Alex said while making some space on the stainless steel counter. Then, she took a portable device from under the counter and placed it atop almost effortlessly. She must have noticed Astra’s wide eyes at the view of such device that didn’t look anything like the ones that were used on her before. “Don’t worry about this, I’m just gonna scan your vital signs, in case I’m missing something.”

That weird device had a monitor attached to it and something that emitted a red horizontal laser. It made Astra remember those rays that cashiers used in the supermarket to read bar codes in the products. Humans weren’t hiding their love for consumption not even when they designed devices destined to health purposes.

“I was checking your blood when you came here,” Alex explained, scanning Astra’s body and reading the results on the monitor. “Your values are fine but it might take you some time to feel like yourself again.”

“I thought you said you weren’t _that kind of doctor_ ,” Astra pointed out.

“Well, when it comes to Kryptonian physiology, yes, I’m that kind of doctor so, as your doctor I recommend you to rest and have some food. By the way,” Alex narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms and leaning next to Astra against the examination table, “Kara filled up your fridge yesterday. I can’t believe you only had baby carrots and pizza leftovers.”

“In my defense, I didn’t have time to buy cooking utensils. I just moved in and I spent the last two days here.” Astra opened her arms in protest and trying to excuse herself.

Another little white-lie.

Truth was, she didn’t really feel at home in her new home. It was just a new space that provided her a room for herself, a private bathroom and a kitchen to have breakfast alone every morning. Truth was, she missed the strange domesticity of living with someone, of living with Alex. She hadn’t even had the energy to organize her bookshelf and–

“My plants!” she suddenly remembered, jumping out of the exam table.

“Don’t worry, I took care of them,” Alex hurried to calm her down. “Water twice a day, like I know you do. Except for the cacti, they’re still waiting for you.”

She smiled and Alex smiled back, and for a brief moment that domesticity Astra was starting to miss sparkled between them with ease.

“Thank you,” Astra said, looking at Alex’s eyes. She seemed surprised or even overwhelmed by Astra’s words. And definitely those words were trying to say something else, so much more.

“No problem. We live in the same building so it wasn’t a big deal,” Alex deflected, looking away, until Astra touched her forearm and regained her attention.

She looked at Alex intently, willing to cause a reaction “I mean it. You took care of me since my first minute here.”

Astra could see Alex hesitating and blushing, lost in her eyes. She supposed the other woman would try to get free from this situation if she didn’t want it. But Alex wasn’t moving and Astra’s heart was pounding so fast that she had to fight the impulse to try and hear Alex’s heartbeat to have any clue of what was happening to the other woman. Maybe she didn’t know how to answer, or maybe she was feeling that Astra had trespassed her personal space. And because of that last thought, Astra withdrew her hand from Alex’s arm almost as quick as she had reached for contact seconds ago.

“It’s, ah, the least I could do,” Alex finally said. “The whole thing about that operation was messy. We didn’t know the hostile was armed. It–” She breathed in and let out a quick sigh. “It was unnecessarily dangerous for you and Kara and everyone else there.”

Alex smiled awkwardly and remained silent, guilt not wiped away fast enough to escape Astra’s notice.

Despite all the time living together, their growing relationship, and the fact that Astra owed Alex an important part of this _third_ chance in life, Astra’s almost-death was still haunting Alex when they went out to the field, every day. Astra knew this too, by silent observation, because Alex never told her she used to wake up at night wishing to go back in time to that night in the rooftop to break free from what she did. Alex never told Astra that she wished to go back and be able to prevent that ghost from existing, a ghost that made her breakfast in the morning and filled up her balcony with hanging plants.

“Alex–” Astra begun but didn’t know how to continue when Alex cleared her throat, stood up from her sloping position against the exam table and walked away to the microscope on the other side of her lab.

 “Oh, I found something else,” she said, a bit more lightly. It was a strategy she most commonly used every time she tried to let something go, even if it remained in the back of her mind – and Astra would indulge her this time. Alex opened the first drawer of the base cabinet and extracted a white envelope with a _For Alexandra_ written in elegant calligraphy and blue ink. “A secret present,” she pointed in Astra’s direction, “from you.”

Astra gave a short, disbelieving laugh. “How did you know?”

“You’re the only one that calls me like that,” Alex said as if it was something obvious. “Also, Kara recognized your fancy calligraphy and when I told her what it was she tried to pretend she was mistaken, but it was too late.”

“My dear niece, she was never good at lying.”

“Not at all!” Alex said between laughs as she left the envelope back into the drawer and slid it closed. “Sooo, do you have any suspect yet? Your secret Santa?”

“Winn.” Astra, confirmed. “He’s been acting very nervous around me lately, more nervous than usual. And I found him taking measures of my clothes while I was sleeping.”

“Oh my God, I bet he’s knitting a sweater or maybe a onesie,” Alex joked, and it was beautiful to see her smile like that again.

“I do not know what is a onsie.”

“Guess we’ll have to wait ‘till tonight to find out. I’m going to see you there, right?” Alex asked, but quickly clarified, “at Kara’s apartment, I mean.”

Astra felt her chest getting warmer again at the mere thought of being part of Kara’s loved ones again, and by extension, Alex’s. It was one of the several things she was thankful for, after all that happened.

“Of course, I wouldn’t miss it.” Alex smiled again, and Astra continued, “Although, I am starting to question my involvement in this gift exchange. This tradition of yours feels too rushed. It is nothing like we used to do on Krypton.”

“Kara mentioned it once when we were young, something about glowing crystals and jewels, but I never heard the story behind it.”

And just like that, Astra found a perfect excuse to thank Alex properly for her caregiver tasks, because what was better and more innocuous than sharing a good story and a hot beverage, even if it was the story of an old tradition from a dead planet and the cheap coffee of the DEO cafeteria.

After all, and despite the thousands of years of difference in technological and societal development, humans and Kryptonians were beings bound to social conventions.

So by the end of the second coffee, Alex still seemed truly interested. Astra, for her part, was just curious… how many of these stories Alex had heard? How much did she know about a planet that no longer existed? Maybe she could ask her in the future, with coffee between them? Or a nice dinner?

Those were the questions on her mind when Astra finally landed in the balcony of her apartment, later that afternoon. Boxes and bags were everywhere and books were piled on what appeared to be every flat surface of her home. She needed to organize her things, her life, her thoughts and feelings, and accept this was her new situation in life: a former Kryptonian General, put under probation for an indefinite period of time, but with the benefit of the trust of those who fought against her in what it felt like a lifetime ago.

She was loved by her niece, and respected by her comrades. And maybe someday, her feelings for a certain woman would be requited, who knows.

She was living through new traditions in this difficult, but beautiful world: games and pizza night, gift revealing night, _family_ night.

~

Pictionary was the game chosen for that night and Alex felt confident enough to brag a little bit before the first game. She was, indeed, very good at it given her almost artistic talent to draw out her clue quick enough to beat the sand hourglass timer of two minutes.

Winn and Kara were on her team, which gave them a great advantage over the others: the Danvers sisters were almost unbeatable when they worked together. Plus, a genius/nerd/good-at-guessing guy was an awesome addition. In front of them, Astra, James and Lucy were discussing their strategy, while J’onn officiated as referee.

Everything was on their favor. Alex’s team had the brains, the hands and the heart, they all had a huge experience because Pictionary was one of their favorite, and they all were ready to smash their opponents with a Sharpie on their hands.

Despite all of that, they lost – twice in a row – with no other explanation than the other team was better, faster, smarter.

Maybe they underestimated the power of a passionate and competitive ex-General, a brilliant military lawyer and a talented photographer teaming-up against them. So, when the delivery guy knocked on Kara’s door, Alex and her team were the first to leave their sits on the couch, looking for some consolation in the pepperoni and extra mushroom pizzas.

And damn if it worth it. Stilton pizzas were the best.

With the big defeat at Pictionary almost forgotten and four pizzas later, it came the turn of the secret gift's big reveal. Some of the highlights of the night were: Winn’s new access to the Section of Rarities, on the 6th sub floor of the DEO, courtesy of Alex and J’onn;  Lucy jumping out of her chair when she found out her Secret Santa was Kara, and that she was receiving a complete flight over National City as a gift; and Winn’s promise of a new and more _modern_ suit for Astra after realizing she would never use the lime-green scarf he gave her.

And of course, Astra’s gift for Alex which was simply fascinating: a spherical pendant necklace made by herself, with her own two hands and with her own two eyes, given that she had to melt the material herself and then mold it to its final form.

It was perfect... that was the first thought on Alex’s mind when she opened the envelope and dropped its content into her palm.

And to be honest, that was all she could think about in her way home that night, with the Kryptonian pressed at her back, after Alex offered a windy ride on her bike.

They parted ways in the elevator but before that Alex thanked Astra again – more privately this time – for the little present, for the coffee and the story of that afternoon, and for other things that probably Astra didn’t understand.

It didn’t felt enough though, when Alex closed the door of her apartment.

Maybe she should have invited Astra for a drink so they could keep talking about Krypton, traditions and history.

_Maybe._

She sighed and left her keys and gun on the table as she walked to her room. Once there, she changed into a tank top and a short pant she used as a pajama, and laying down on her bed, staring at the ceiling, Alex recalled the story Astra had told her earlier that day.

She had told her how Krypton had survived what they called the First Invasion: a war that started when they were attacked and almost annihilated by a superior race that came from another planet.

She had told her about the bravery of those Kryptonians that fought back and defended the villages that remained standing, even when such uneven war could have meant the end of their young civilization. She also told her that after all the devastation the aliens left behind them, the Kryptonian people had the strength to thrive and looked for a way to recover. And that it was the moment the villagers started the tradition of exchanging offerings and gifts between them.

The first presents they exchanged were food and medicinal plants, and other things with some kind of practical value for other villagers and their families. The next generations exchanged knowledge and techniques to extract natural resources and to produce the first automated machines.

With the passage of time, Krypton developed scientific and technological advancements that allowed its people to simply enjoy what their planet had to offer to them. Thereby, the presents were more luxurious than practical, being the small, glowing crystals the most popular present from the Development Era to the last days of the planet. The mighty Kryptonian crystals were sell as precious jewelry with different colors and different meanings, like Kara had mentioned when they were kids.

Now, the story behind this tradition was far more interesting than a plain recounting of the events. As beautiful as this story was, it was part of the painful past of a dead planet. A planet that Astra had left behind with her body, but not with her mind, Alex could see. Her passion and love for her people’s history was worthy of admiration; Astra’s words denoted a great longing, and at the same time, were dyed by powerlessness and remorse, for she wasn’t able to save the legacy of her planet.

Or perhaps Astra succeeded, in some way, given that she was telling this story, and as Alex knew very well due to her own personal loses, nothing is truly dead if it is still remembered.

Alex understood, however, how empty that could sound, so she saved that thought for herself again and she rolled on her side with her back to the window. She touched the colorful leaf of the Galatea placed on her nightstand allowing herself for a sweet, fleeting moment to wonder if Astra could see her now through the roof and walls of her apartment…. if she had ever done it when they lived together, if she had done it at least once since they were living separately. She allowed herself to think that, yes, Astra was watching her right in that moment because that way it was easier to send some kind of signals to show her that Alex’s mind belonged to her, every night before sleeping.

2 AM and she was still there.

Alex cursed herself for relying on those fantasies: so brave on the battlefield but so insecure when it came to... Astra.

_Astra._

She wiped it away, gave a long sigh, grabbed the envelope with her name on it, and extracted the small silver pendant. _“I have been waiting to give this to you for a very long time, and then your name came out of the hat. I thought this_ secret gift-giver _game was the perfect occasion.”_ Alex remembered Astra’s words on the elevator. She had made the pendant herself, which was even more surprising given the precision and dedication put on what should be a simple Secret Santa gift.

Because that’s all that it was, right?

Alex promised she would find a proper chain to use this pendant the next morning. For the time being, Alex pulled the nightstand drawer out and placed the pendant in it. As she wrapped the blanket around her and shut the lights off, Alex wished the night would last a little longer than usual.

 

By the time Alex woke up the next day, the morning sun was shining through her windows sufficiently to create long shadow patterns on the wall and ceiling.

And that way the morning routine started off normal enough: first coffee of the day, a shower, a quick walk to Kara’s favorite donuts place, and then back to the DEO – like every day – where she had a proper breakfast. The rest of the morning went really quiet and predictable as well, with a couple of reunions at the DEO to discuss budget and the implementation of new training programs for their agents, due to the fact that the so-awaited Alien Amnesty Law was about to be approved in the next couple of months. After that, Alex went to the armory to continue the recount of high-caliber firearms and grenades that J’onn had asked her to do a week ago, and after that, shooting practice, like every Friday afternoon.

Everything was in its place and the rhythm of the day led her to think it was going to be just a regular work day.

But when she returned to the main control room, a familiar silhouette was standing there, in civilian clothes this time. She smiled lightly as she recognized the leather jacket and the jeans she’d helped Astra choose some months ago, when they started living together due to Astra’s probation. After all, and even though Astra hated the idea of an impractical clothing style, the Kryptonian needed to pass (as to the outward appearance at least) as a human.

And she was doing it so badly.

There was no woman in this world so beautiful like her, even though Astra didn’t know.

What was Astra doing in the DEO was something that _Alex_ didn’t know. So when she noticed the particularities of the situation, she decided to find out.

Kara was right behind Astra, gesturing with her hands and shaking her head begging Winn to cut it out. Yes, Winn was there too, and J’onn, a little far away from them, was grimacing at whatever they were talking about, like he was trying not to burst out laughing. But Astra’s face was serious, like she wasn’t having fun at all, and she was giving Winn the same look she gave to people who litter the pavement.

That couldn’t be good at all.

“What are you guys doing?” Alex asked casually, narrowing her eyes as she approached the semi-circle. They all looked at her at the same time but Winn was the first to jump on her with his tablet on hand.

“Alex! Alex, we need an objective opinion here. Look at this and tell me this isn’t so bad.” He came closer to Alex and whispered, “I could really use some support right now,” and then came back to his normal tone, “Isn’t this awesome?”

He showed her the tablet and, oh, there it was the problem, a design of the new and more modern version of Astra’s suit: vibrant light gray and too satisfying in details, the suit had a few golden and purple strands that framed what it seemed to be Astra’s upper figure a little too much, leaving some parts of the legs and arms exposed. It was already going bad enough when Winn decided to show them his interpretation of a cape.

“Sorry, I can’t back you up here,” Alex said.

“Alex, come on, you are my only hope–”

“I’ll be back when you have a better and more _suitable_ idea,” Astra said from behind Winn and broke the semi-circle.

Trying to light things up, Alex intercepted Astra while J’onn resumed his activities and Kara tried to cheer Winn up (if that was possible).

“Don’t be mad at him. He has a wild imagination but has proven to be an efficient asset,” Alex said casually. To be precise, Astra looked more worried than pissed off at this all situation. “I’m sure he’ll come up with something wearable.”

“I hope so. These human clothes are not only expensive but also very fragile,” she protested with a frown. “I pulled a load of laundry out of the dryer only to discover that three of my shirts, which were previously a perfect fit, are now two sizes too small.”

“I can help you with that the next time, just let me know and I’ll do the laundry with you–”

Unexpectedly, Astra came closer, her eyes fixed on Alex’s chest, right where her zip-neck was partly undone. “You are wearing it.”

Alex doubted for a second and then touched the necklace, playing briefly with it to make sure that Astra was referring to it. “Yes. Isn’t that what necklaces are for?” she asked, feeling her cheeks growing warmer.

A small grin appeared on Astra’s face. “Of course,” she answered so sweetly, eyes now fixed on Alex’s.

_Oh, those eyes_.

It wasn’t the first time Alex pondered that maybe she was reading too much into those looks they shared. But how could she not?

How could she ignore the electricity, and the unspoken words?

It couldn’t be her imagination.

“Guys?” Winn’s voice appeared suddenly from the background.

The monitors showed the infamous Dhorian that escaped from their hands on New Year’s Eve, striking again, more desperately this time. It seemed he was looking for the compounds he needed in one of the facilities the DEO was monitoring, an isolated warehouse near the industrial district.

It was a matter of time before he blew everything away.

“Not again,” Astra hissed and flew out of the DEO before Alex had a mere chance to stop her.

Everything was happening too fast that Alex feared the consequences.

“Get a strike team ready, we’re leaving!” J’onn yelled as he walked by Alex’s side.

She turned around and found Kara getting ready to fly, her shirt ripped open and her glasses on the floor. “I got her, Alex. But please, hurry,” she said, and flew behind her aunt.

They needed to move as fast as possible.

And so they did.

When Alex and J’onn arrived to the warehouse, Supergirl and Astra were shooting at the alien, but keeping a good distance. After all that happened to Astra, they learned some interesting things about the weaponry that this junkie from another world was using. It seemed the yellow laser ray had some kind of depowering quality, a radiation with Kryptonite-like effects. Of course they didn’t know this when they first barged against the Dhorian, and they really didn’t have a way to know it beforehand; now, the situation was slightly different. Supergirl was aware of this detail, the DEO knew how to stop him, and unfortunately for him, he had pissed off a very bad-tempered former General.

J’onn drove them directly to the center of the conflict. Alex stepped out of the SUV and was ready to shoot her giant rocket launcher when things got out of control. The alien started to shoot yellow rays everywhere.

Alternating their heat vision and their cold breath, both Kryptonians managed to crack the gray shield that was protecting the hostile. He got even more desperate and erratic, trying to escape between the white tank containers and firing at the rooftop to create a big hole. Of course, after not much trying he succeeded. Some parts of the metallic building were already falling and the other DEO agents ran outside the warehouse as fast as they could, like any reasonable human being would have done. J’onn phased through the metal to stop the alien while Astra and Supergirl flew directly through the falling structure.

Alex aimed her cannon once again. She took a deep breathe, waited for a clean shoot knowing all too well that if she missed, Kara, Astra or J’onn could get hurt. On the other hand, the Dhorian still had that damned otherworldly gun: if she didn’t shoot, the result could be even worse.

It was a one-time opportunity. And the roof was falling over her.

So she pulled the trigger, jumped into the backseat of the SUV, and closed her eyes.

The metal roof fell.

And hell if she was lucky, because when the noise stopped and she opened her eyes again, everything was dark and dusty but she was still alive and unharmed. Just a little trapped in the mangled SUV, and desperate to know the fate of her family out there.

Alex tried to calm herself down and find a way out. But the moment she moved slightly to the left something glowed from under her tactical vest. She dug under her shirt to get the small piece of jewelry Astra gave her and when she looked at it, the pendant wasn’t silver anymore. The uneven ribbon strips that surrounded the central sphere of the pendant flared with an intense orange color and a slight shine, while the core of the pendant kept a dark tone. It was beautiful and hypnotic, like sun rays finding their way through dense clouds.

It could also resemble the cracks on a dying planet, just moments before the explosion.

Alex preferred to put that last though in the back of her mind because it wasn’t the time nor the place to be overwhelmed by emotions. She heard Kara calling her name as she felt the pressure of her sister’s landing on a pile of metal nearby. With her heart pounding too fast, Alex curled her hand around the pendant and waited there.

The metal above her head creaked and creaked again and seconds later Kara was standing over what was left of the SUV roof rack, holding out her hand to help her get out.

“Nice shot,” she said with the brightest of smiles on her face, “we got him!”

 

Back in her apartment that night, Alex found herself washing the dishes she and Kara had used for dinner. It wasn’t strictly a Danvers Sisters night but after the events of that day, both of them could use some quality time together. Besides, they had to catch up with Mr. Robot before the new season begins.

Kara left minutes after midnight; Alex chose to stay inside that Friday night. Strangely, the couch was a very appealing option, and even more surprisingly, reading a book sounded more attractive than grabbing a drink at the bar.

It felt definitely like the end of a very long and weird week.

She walked from the kitchen to the living room and sat down on her couch. The silent absence of a body next to her led her to recall the nights she spent watching television after work while Astra picked a copy of her favorite Russian author’s book and sat beside her.

Alex had a book resting on her lap in that precise moment but her mind, obviously, was lost in deep thought.

_What the hell does it mean?_

She abandoned the book and unclipped the necklace, examining it like it was the first time she had gotten it.

Fuck, she hated not having answers. If anything, she only had even more questions.

_What is she trying to tell me? Why that… color?_

_Is it what I think it is, or am I overthinking this like I overthink everything related to Astra?_

She stood up again, and started to walk aimlessly around her apartment. Trapped inside a mangled SUV, waiting for her sister to help her, a flash of the story that Kara told her when they were younger crossed her mind. A story about Kryptonian crystals and different colors, each one of them with a different meaning. 

Alex couldn’t help but think of Astra and the story she’d told her. She couldn’t help but think of Astra and her secret present.

But then again, she could be reading too much into something that wasn’t that important after all. Maybe Astra didn’t even know that the different materials she used to make this pendant would glow in the dark like some kind of Halloween spooky choker.

Gosh, she felt so ridiculous, drowning in questions when the answers were two floors below her.

“I need to know,” she said out loud when she finally decided it was time to get those answers. And just like that, she strode out of her apartment and into the elevator.

After punching the button for the sixth floor, she fixed her shirt, making sure nothing was out of place. The necklace was hanging around her neck; the jumping, fluttering sensation was still in the lower chest.

When the elevator doors opened there she was.

Astra was waiting for her at the entrance of her apartment, casually wearing her green pajamas.

She checked Alex out intently, examining her. “Alex, is everything okay?” She asked. A questioning frown drew her brows together. “I heard the slam of your door and your footsteps on the corridor.”

“Oh… I– I need to talk to you,” Alex said as she stepped out of the elevator.

“Please, come in.”

Accepting Astra’s invitation, Alex entered the apartment. There were just a few pieces of furniture; a couple of chairs here and there with some boxes upon them, a small table near the kitchen and a brand new couch that Alex suspected was also Astra’s bed sometimes.

“Wow, you did a great job here, it seems you’re settling in.”

Her sudden need for answers gave place to a small talk for reasons unknown.

Astra closed the door behind them. “Ah, I have to organize some things yet but at least I made myself some time to classify my books by theme.” She rounded Alex so they were face to face again, and pointed out at a pile of books. “The benefits of having super speed.”

“Tell me about it! Kara helped me when I was moving out from her apartment. She was so anxious to leave the college dorm that we did everything in one day. I barely could keep her rhythm.”

“It sounds like an odyssey.”

“It was, sorta,” Alex remembered, feeling somehow weird at this superficial exchange. “Sorry for, umm, slamming the door, I didn’t mean to… worry you?”

Astra dismissed the apology with a delicate gesture. “I thought there was a problem or that I had forgotten something in your apartment.”

“ _My_ apartment, that sounds so weird…” Alex started but stopped mid-sentence. 

Astra started to walk in the direction of the kitchen, smiling at Alex’s sincerity. “Do you want something to drink?” she asked but never received a proper answer, for Alex’s mind wasn’t focused at all on it.

In fact, she didn’t even heard the question.

She just needed to put everything out of her chest.

“The necklace…” she said, softly. Astra stopped in her tracks, giving her back to Alex. “It glows in the dark.”

Astra turned around, not showing herself nervous at all. “I knew you were going to find out sooner or later.”

“What does it mean?” Alex demanded. “I mean, I know what it means, it glows, but– I remember what Kara told me about the meaning of the crystals, and then you told me–” she gestured, trying to find the words, “that story. And… and I can’t stop thinking it’s all connected.” She took a deep breath. “That this gift is not a coincidence.”

“It is not a coincidence, Alexandra.” The look on Astra’s face made Alex conflicted as she smiled and it faded away, and then again. She tried to prevent some tears from appearing, her green eyes seeping into Alex’s with the same uncertainty Alex felt deep inside her every time she thought about the possibility of Astra having feelings for her.

Alex stepped closer both to reassure Astra and because her body was yelling at her, claiming to close that damned distance. “It’s orange. Like _a flame_ ,” she added. “Kara told me her dad gave Alura one of those, on their last celebration on Krypton.”

Shaking her head slightly, Astra looked down. “I had no knowledge of that.”

And of course she didn’t know, because her crimes and sentence, Alura’s principles and Fort-Rozz didn’t allow her to know.

“I’m sorry.”

Alex finally took Astra’s hands, provoking the other woman to look up again.

They shared the silence but also the doubt of taking that final step.

Her eyes slowly flickered from Alex lips to her eyes, then back down again but instead of kissing her she said:

“Orange is for the purest form of love, the one that shines upon us, like Rao on Krypton, or the stars in the rest of the universe. I could not think of any other color, Alex.”

And that was all Alex needed to move even closer, place one hand on Astra’s cheek and kiss her. She gave her a light kiss, unable to resist, but at the same time allowing Astra to withdraw if she wanted. Astra leaned into it, hands framing Alex’s face and answering the silent question. Answering all of the silent questions.

Alex sunk into Astra’s lips like there was no other important thing in the world. She placed her hands on Astra’s back, gently pulling her impossible closer as Astra ran her thumb down her cheek affectionately.

They belonged to that moment, to that sensation. They belonged to that feeling.

Their kiss began softly, slowly gaining passion but they didn’t let it grow.

Not yet.

Alex pulled away trying pointlessly to calm her racing heart, their foreheads touching, her lips a mere breathe away from Astra’s as she whispered, “This is the cheesiest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

Astra smirked, with her hands still caressing Alex’s face. “I have heard that here on Earth you can return a gift if you don’t like it.”

“Not a chance,” Alex said and leaned in again for a second kiss, a third, and much more... Alex’s new perfect way to end a regular work day.

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas to my secret Santa! I hope that you enjoy the story!
> 
> Original Prompts: Holiday Traditions (new, old, and or both) and (Secret) Gifts
> 
> (Sorry for my mistakes, English is not my first language but I try :P )


End file.
